Milwaukee Rowing Club

Milwaukee Rowing Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by Vetter Denk Architects

As a recipient of a 2004 AIA Wisconsin Design Honor Award, Vetter Denk Architects' Milwaukee Rowing Club at Kilbourn Landing illustrates that a building need not be avant-garde or attention-getting to receive critical praise. Described as a "non-building" by the architects, the award jury praised "its clarity both in concept and presentation, [its] poetic fervor, and [its] open relationship to the water and the city."

Extending from adjacent Kilbourn Park Bluff, the building presents itself only as a green roof and a tower. The roof covers the boat storage below, while the 24-foot tower signals the entry and provides additional storage.

The building is more prominent from the water, though its simplicity makes it a welcome guest along the Milwaukee River. A translucent glass curtain wall faces the river with sliding wood walls around the corner providing access to the interior. The doors add warmth to the crisp contemporary exterior, the wood picked up as horizontal mullion caps on the main wall.

Beyond the structure itself, the Rowing Club gives something back to the city by providing a generous plaza that can be used for public gatherings while also fulfilling the Club's functions. Even though the building is small, it makes a big contribution to Milwaukee and its River Walk.